It’s quite a joy this time of year to see the Denver City and County building awash in colorful holiday lights. It’s a Denver tradition dating back to the Depression and we’re proud to see it upheld each year.

But each year the baby Jesus also takes his place in a creche on the steps of Denver’s city hall, and each year someone hollers that there should be no room for him at the city-owned inn.

Sadly, as we’ve noted, the controversy surrounding the Nativity scene has become as much a Denver tradition as the decorations themselves. This year, it was Denver Post columnist Susan Greene who kicked off the holiday griping, arguing for less religion on government-owned steps.

While we understand her concerns, which have been echoed by others over the years, the manger scene is not only a part of Denver history, its inclusion on the steps of city hall is protected by the state and U.S. constitutions.

And, quite frankly, it tells the story of Christmas, which is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Most Coloradans celebrate Christmas and are not in the least bit offended. Most of those who don’t celebrate aren’t offended, either, as they understand that the creche, in context, is not meant to evangelize nonbelievers.

In fact, thousands of residents and visitors flock downtown each year to see the holiday decor, which also includes Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen and a glorious City and County Building with its festive lights.

We can remember back in the 1980s when a group of Denver

atheists took the plaster figurine of baby Jesus all the way to court.

The trial court determined that the creche did not violate Colorado’s constitution, and four years later Colorado’s Supreme Court agreed. “Considered in the context of the larger display,” the judges ruled, the creche “does not violate the Preference Clause of the Colorado Constitution.”

As Westword’s Patricia Calhoun so cleverly wrote earlier this month:

“Yes, there is a Santa clause.”

And since then the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that religious scenes are OK on government property as long as secular figures, such as Santa Claus, are included as well. The Denver scene also has included, appropriately, a menorah to mark Hannukah.

Now, some of the old decorations on the city hall steps have seen better days, and we know some folks have criticized the eclectic display as, well, less than tasteful. Tacky, actually, was the word the mayor’s spokesman said most people use to describe it, according to Westword.

But it’s also tradition.

We wouldn’t complain about it any sooner than we griped about the Denver Broncos’ brown and gold vertically striped socks from the early 1960s or the smell from the stock show each year.

It’s part of who we are, and we welcome its inclusion in the holiday display.